A Makeover for Downtown Brooklyn

De Blasio Aims to Attract More Businesses, Add to Community Feel

By

Laura Kusisto

July 16, 2014 12:03 a.m. ET

The mayor from Brooklyn wants to make his mark on the borough's downtown.

The once-neglected area has grown over the past decade with an influx of residents, restaurants and cultural institutions, but residents and others say it still lacks the appeal of many of Brooklyn's brownstone neighborhoods.

Mayor Bill de Blasio's proposals, to be announced on Wednesday, include expanding a 21-acre greenway from the courthouses to the...